Package and closure for the same



.March 29, 1938.

G. W. BROWNFIELD PACKAGE AND CLOSURE FOR THE SAME Filed Feb. 28, 1934 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE AND CLOSURE FOR THE SAME George Washington Brownfield, Washington, D. C.

Application February 28, 1934, Serial No. 713,371 I 11 Claims. (Cl. 229-6) This invention relates to packages and closures therefor, and it relates more particularly to packages of the general type illustrated and claimed in my copending United States patent application, Serial Number 680,837 and to a modified type of closure element.

The sale of standard commodities, particularly in the form of small packaged products has become highly competitive during recent years.

1 Merchants and manufacturers have now for some 1 time been attemptingto render their goods more attractive by their manner of display and by the type of packages employed. Transparent packages have come into wide use and the material known as Cellophane is not only used in the form of a transparent receptacle for loose products, but the demand for attractive packages has developed to such degree that bottles and other glass containers are now encased in high gloss transparent wrappers to give the desired flash to the complete packages.

While attractivepackages are .in demand, yet in merchandising inexpensive products the packages must be economical both from the standpoint of cost of containers and from the standpoint of expense in filling and closing the same.

It is an object of this invention to provide an attractive package which 'is inexpensive and 30 which may be quickly and securely closed.

This invention contemplates the production of a package which is formed of a tough transparent material of the nature of Cellophane and which is closed by a band having a tag extending therefrom which is adapted to display matter of interest to a prospective purchaser. It is further contemplated by this invention that the extending portion or tag on the closure member may be shaped and marked to simulate an object or 40 person. Y

An additional object of this invention is the production of a closure member adapted for use with a bag or container having its normally open end folded or twisted into a strand.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a package formed, in accordance with this invention; in which the closure member has an extending or tag portion shaped and marked to represent a human head;

Fig. 2 illustrates one form of closure member constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 3 is a view of a package in which a modified closure member is employed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the closure memtrated in Fig. 9.

Now in referring to the drawing in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the numeral l0, designates a container preferably formed of some attractive and flexible material such as Cellophane. When filled with the desired contents the container is twisted at its open end so as to form a strand ll of reduced cross-section, and a closure member I2 having a tag extension I3 is then caused to encircle and secure the strand H by the insertion of thestrand within an opening l4 arranged in the body portion thereof.

The opening I4 is provided in the closure member by being stamped out so as to have the rim thereof provided with slightly upstanding fingers [5. Closure member l2 may be constructed from various materials but it is preferably formed of sheet celluloid, metal, composition or laminated sheets which have suflicient body and rigidity to generally retain the shape into which they may be bent and yet have a degree of resiliency which will cause the fingers l5 to engage against the strand l I when the strand has been drawn through the opening 14 as the closure member is forced down over the strand.

As illustrated in Fig. '1 the extension I3 is turned upwardly and is shaped to represent a human head, and the outer surface of the extension is printed or otherwise marked to represent the details of the head. The closure member shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that shown on the container in Fig.1 except that the extension is merely printed to display some seasonal greeting or other symbol. In both Figs. 3 and 4 the closure member is shown as being provided with 8. turneddown extension I3 with the designation on theouter surface thereof.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive each closure member is illustrated as a fiat member 16 which is provided with a cut Portion so as topermit the same to be passed over a strand or the like in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 9 and 10. The form of closure showndn Figs. 5 and 6 has an opening ll like the members above described and fingers 15 are also provided. In referring specifically to the closure members illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8 it will be seen that each of these members i6 is cut as indicated at IT. The cuts in each instance are curved at the ends as illustrated at It so as to avoid the severing oi! the peripheral portions of the members when the material is flexed adjacent the cuts when the closure members are applied to containers.

One or more closure members may be applied as desired either to the types of containers shown in Figs. 1 and 3 or to the type shown in Figs. 9 and 10. As illustrated specifically in Figs. 9 and 10,-one closure member I! is shown with a downwardly arranged extension tag while another is employed which is provided with an upwardly arranged extension. The container ill in Figs. 9 and 10 is adapted to retain a bottle I! and the reduced strand II is formed by the twisting of the open end of the container, after which the particular closure member or members to be employed is passed downwardly over the strand and the strand is preferably loosened as indicated at 20.

In loosening the strand II at 20 -as shown in the drawing, it is possible to produce a pleasing eilect by spreading the same to act as a background for the extension or tag, or to cause this portion 20 to represent a part of a symbol which will cooperate with the markings or shape of the extension i3 01' the particular closure member which is employed.

It is to be understood that while it is preferable to provide the closure members with fingers adiacent the openings ll for the purpose oi resisting the rotary or longitudinal shifting of the closure members upon the twisted strand oi the container, the closure members are quite eilicient when constructed without the fingers.

What I claim is:

1. A package comprising a tubular container formed of flexible sheet cellulosic materiaLhaving its normally open end reduced to astrand and sheet material closure means tightly encircling the strand, said closure means extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the package and being provided with an extension adapted to be used as a tag for displaying a symbol or the like.

2. A package comprising a container having a flexible portion adjacent its normally open end reduced to a strand and sheet material closure means securing the strand by having the strand passed through an opening therein, said closure means extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the package and being provided adjacent its opening with means tending to resist withdrawal oi the closure means along the strand.

3. A package comprising a container having a flexible portion adjacent its normally open end reduced to a strand, and sheet material closure means having an opening cut therethrough for the reception of the strand, said closure means being arranged in the operative position by having the strand extended through the opening therein and the closure means being provided with fingers adjacent its opening which fingers are adapted to resist movement of-the closure member along the strand in the direction for removal of the same.

4. A package comprising a container h -V 5 a flexible portion adjacent its normally open end reduced to a strand which extends in a vertical direction when the package is placed on its base, sheetmaterial closure means closely encircling the strand and lying in a substantially horizontal plane when the package is positioned as specified, and a tag extending from the closure means at an angle to the same so as to display a symbol or identification data which is arranged thereon.

5. A package comprising a container having a flexible portion adjacent its normally open end reduced to a strand which extends in a vertical direction when the package is placed on'its base, sheet materialclosure means closely encircling the strand and lying in a substantially horizontal plane when the package is positioned as specified, and tags extending from opposite sides of the closure means and at an angle to the same so as to permit the display of identification data and the like arranged on the tags.

6. A package "comprising a tubular container formed of flexible sheet cellulosic material having a bottle or the like arranged therein, said flexible portion of the container being drawn over the bottle and twisted into a strand above the same, and a fiat sheet material closure means closely encircling the strand and disposed at substantially right-angles to the strand to maintain strand extending through the opening therein,

said closure means being provided with fingers adjacent its opening for engaging the strand and resisting the withdrawal oi. the closure means iroln the strand, whereby the container will be maintained in closed condition upon the bottle.

8. A package comprising a container having a flexibleportion adjacent its normally open end reduced to a strand and a sheet material closure means mounted upon the strand by having the strand extending through an opening cut therein, said closure means being provided with an extended portion adapted to display a symbol or the like, said portion being angularly disposed with reference to said closure means, and the strand above the closure means being flared and formed to cooperate with the display portion oi. the closure means to'produce a combined display eflect. j

9. A closure device adapted to be used for closing bags and other flexible containers c'omprising a flat sheet material body portion having an opening extending therethrough of size adapted to fit tightly over a twisted end of a terial provided with opening therethrough for the reception of a; twisted end of a container,

said body portion ha ling struck-up fingers surrounding the opening which are adapted to engage against the twisted-end of a container for resisting removal of the closure means therefrom, and an extension provided on the body portion adapted to contain a symbol or other v data to be displayed.

11. A closure device, adapted to be used for closing bags and other flexible containers comprising a body portion of thin stifi sheet material provided with an opening therethrough 

